As Seen on TV… : At Home with Tom and Elisabeth Parker

You might recognize this house from Bridge of Spies, where it starred as Tom Hanks’s home, or Girls, where it was a stand-in for a poet’s house in Iowa. It seems kind of crazy that this exists in Brooklyn, but the 4-bedroom residence built in 1902 is actually typical of the homes in Ditmas Park, aka Victorian Flatbush, where the streets are lined with single-family homes with yards and driveways. Eight years ago, Tom and Elisabeth Parker wanted more space for their family, but weren’t ready to move to the suburbs. They were thrilled to find this spacious house with an easy commute to Manhattan, where Elisabeth runs the carpet department at Christie’s and Tom is an art dealer at Hirschl & Adler. Their 10-year-old daughter Clarissa and eight-year-old son Nate each get their own bedroom and even have a craft room. They’ve filled the house with family heirlooms, furniture from estate sales, and rugs bought at auction, which mesh with the fireplaces, stained glass windows, shaving closets, old intercoms, and other historic details. “It’s true to its origins without being precious,” Tom said. They love the sense of community in the neighborhood and are involved with the local library and Flatbush Development Corporation.